Built in Oakville, Ont., these big crossover wagons have been successful for Ford thanks to strong individual styling, a well-packaged interior and a pricing strategy that gives the Edge and MKX some room from one another, but not too much.
Ford Edge
The Edge is assembled, along with its Lincoln MKX cousin, in Ford's most up-to-date flexible manufacturing facility in Oakville. Both arrived as 2007 models and have been selling beyond expectations.
The car-based Edge drives more like a car than a truck and it gets better fuel economy, too.
Given that both the Edge and the MKX roll down the same line and are identical mechanically, buyers have had every reason to expect out-of-the-box reliability from both wagons. Ford has lived up to the bargain with solid quality numbers in a variety of studies.
The five-seat Edge actually is based loosely on the structure of a car (the Fusion). It competes with a range of other crossovers, from the Nissan Murano to the Honda Pilot to the Toyota Highlander to the GMC Acadia to the Chrysler Pacifica to the Mazda CX-9. The list is long and many on it have seating for seven or eight. Not the five-passenger Edge.
The Edge is roomy, however, and Ford officials love to emphasize the car-based lineage in its styling and driving manners. The design is marked by clean, simple lines ornamented by the sort of jewelled headlights and tail lights currently in vogue.
As for the basics, the Edge comes in front-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions, both powered by a 265-hp, 3.5-litre V-6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The same for the MKX. The all-wheel-drive Edge has a fuel economy rating of 13.0 litres/100 km of city/8.5 hwy.
The Edge's cabin is quiet and it seems certain that more than a few of its 1,853 kilos are devoted to sound-deadening materials. The Edge is hefty — much heavier than its main rivals — and still a pleasure to drive. With a tow package, the Edge is rated up to 1,587 kg.
With the Edge and MKX, Ford has a solid pair of crossovers. And did we mention the Flex? Shared mechanicals there, too.
Lincoln MKX
The MKX has some obvious visual bling to separate this crossover from the Edge. Good looks matter in five-passenger people-movers aimed at upscale buyers. Competition from the likes of the Lexus RX 350 demands it.
Like the Edge, the MKX is powered by a 3.5-litre V-6 (265 hp) mated to a six-speed transmission. Front- and all-wheel drive versions are available.
The AWD version, in particular, is an excellent value compared to rivals such as the Lexus RX 350. The Lexus clearly has a better quality history and is an outstanding resale value, but if you compare the two feature-for-feature, the MKX has a solid edge.
The Lincoln looks terrific, too. The proportions are tight and overall this crossover has a tall but athletic stance — wide, with pronounced wheel arches and short front and rear overhangs. Of all the new Lincolns with the retro-themed egg-crate grille, this one looks best.
The MKX is a pretty decent drive, too. It feels taut and well-constructed, free of squeaks, rattles and groans, and is easy to manoeuvre even in shopping mall parking lots. Sure, the suspension settings are soft — softer than the Edge's — but the MKX does not feel mushy.
The MKX and Edge, along with the new Flex, show that Ford is learning the lessons needed to build different models for different brands, all off the same platform, all of them rolling down the same assembly line.
